dreamy

CHAMPAGNE flutes clink all around us as we sit on the sunny terrace of elegant mansion house La Baronnie, a property so chic King Louis XVI gave it to Marie Antoinette back in 1785.

My husband Eamon and I have begun our long weekend on the French island of Île de Ré with an indulgent brunch buffet, £44 each, including a glass of fizz.

And as we stuff ourselves silly with treats such as oysters, smoked trout and local meats and cheeses, we can’t help but think it’s the perfect start (Hotel-labaronnie.com).

Capital Gains

Off the west coast of France, Île de Ré is roughly 19 miles long and three miles wide, and home to idyllic, quaint villages of whitewashed houses decked out with pastel-shuttered windows.

But first, we explore the capital, Saint-Martin-de-Ré, strolling past the handsome Citadelle Vauban and historic harbour, before hitting the backstreets that brim with independent shops.

The isle is famed for salt and soap, so I stock up on seasoning at Esprit du Sel, £4.80, before dropping into colour and scent fest Loix & Savons to splurge on a perfumed trio of fig, caramel and violet soap, £16.50.

BOOK IT

English holiday park named best in the UK with cosy lakefront lodges & £17 stays

HOT DROP

Winter sun destinations that have DROPPED in price this year with hols from £200pp

I browse colourful threads at Équateur and classic swimwear at Pile ou Face, but my fave find is 29 on Rue Jean Jaurès, where everything is €29!

Later, quirky Le Tout du Cru turns out to be seafood heaven – as I feast on delicate half crab, £16.50, and Eamon devours blue lobster with home-made mayo, £41.50 (Tout-du-cru.fr).

After refreshing scoops of blackcurrant and violet ice cream from La Martinière parlour, £3.20 each (La-martiniere.fr), we make the 20-minute drive to charming Hôtel Le Sénéchal in Ars-en-Ré, which sits just metres from the main square and the black-and-white peak of Saint-Étienne church.

A quiet oasis of floral courtyards and a small, heated outdoor pool, the bedrooms offer crisp white sheets with a palette of dusky blues and creams.

Even better, double rooms cost from just £81 per night (En.hotel-le-senechal.com).

Wheely good

The next morning, we wake early and grab bikes from Les Cycles N to embark on a 15km circular route.

Daily hire costs £11 per adult (Lescyclesn.com).

Our highlights include snapping the towering 57-metre-tall Lighthouse Of The Whales and wandering across the sweeping golden sands of La Conche beach, before sharing a dozen oysters for £21.50 at stylish La Bazenne in the little village of Les Portes-en-Ré (Labazenne.fr).

We head back via the Lilleau des Niges Nature Reserve, with its thriving birdlife and shimmering salt marshes and, after a quick dip back at the hotel pool, we stroll to the port to dine on traditional moules marinières with fries, £16.75, at laid-back Le Café du Commerce (Cafcom-ars.com).

Another brilliant decision is to visit Relais Thalasso’s coastal spa, just 10 minutes’ drive from the bridge that will take us back to France’s mainland – and home again.

Here, the motto is: “The sea takes care of you,” and for £43 each, we’re able to spend the whole day relaxing at the Marine Spa, which includes an indoor seawater pool with bubble benches and massage jets, a hammam, sauna, sensory shower trail and herbal tea room, as well as a gorgeous outdoor pool (Iledere.relaisthalasso.com).

If this isn’t bliss, I really don’t know what is.

A DREAMY cottage in the highlands is a perfect destination to escape for a retreat.

It can also be a base for an action-packed family adventure break – with dolphin spotting among the highlights. Janice Hopper reveals all…

With our feet strapped into boots atop skis with wheels, coach Logan advises us to glide just like him.

Our wobbly attempts at roller-skiing aren’t great, so we soon move on to cross-country skiing on the dry-slope matting instead, where my husband Eamon and our sons Samuel, 12, and Joseph, 11, and I do actually glide.

We’ve booked a family session at Huntly Nordic And Outdoor Centre, which ends with us all flinging ourselves, whooping and screaming, down a slope on rubber rings.

It’s a fun way to experience the Scottish hills. Three-hour activity sessions cost £18.15 per adult, £12.15 per child (Livelifeaberdeenshire.org.uk).

PUMPED UP

I visited Europe’s biggest pumpkin patch right here in England & was shocked

PLANT IT

Closed Victorian attraction finally reopens after five years & £23million upgrade

ESTATE OF MIND

After all the exhilaration, it’s time to check into our two-bedroom cottage on the elegant Mayen Estate.

With a classy colour palette, the cosiest stove and a beautiful ”box bed” in the master, plus a fire pit and hot tub in the garden, Butlers Cottage is a gorgeous hideaway.

We task the boys with rolling out dough and sprinkling on the cheese and salami from our pre-ordered pizza kit, from £21, before popping it in the outdoor pizza oven as the sun starts to wane.

The next morning, we wake to the sound of Highland cows nearby, before taking a peaceful riverside stroll along the Deveron and exploring Mayen’s stunning two-acre Walled Gardens, open exclusively to holiday guests for £20 per cottage.

It’s August, so everything is in full bloom as we wander through walkways of lavender, white lilies and glorious glasshouses.

Huntly is also home to a cinema, castle, shortbread factory and swimming pool, but we head to scenic Greenmyres Lochan for Canadian canoeing and standup paddleboarding, £28 per person for an hour and a half.

Jumping in and swimming is a valid option, too, as my youngest discovers (Huntlydt.org/what-we-do/greenmyres).

After peeling off our wetsuits, we reward ourselves with a Sunday roast at The Bank Cafe & Restaurant.

Here, choose your carvery meat and three sides, such as sticky red cabbage and macaroni cheese, for just £15, or seven sides for £21 (Thebankrestauranthuntly.com).

Buttery orange biscuits from Dean’s Shortbread, £2.49 (Deans.co.uk) and Irn Bru ice cream, £3 a scoop, from long-standing Rizza’s wrap up our day nicely (Rizzas.co.uk).

While Butlers Cottage is set amid rolling hills, the golden sands of Banff Bay are only half an hour away.

After wandering along the shoreline, we warm up with hot chocolate, £4.50, and a dainty Victoria sponge tower, £3.40, at Annie’s Cakery (Facebook.com/anniescakery7).

Housed in the town’s former railway station, AKA The Platform, there’s a lovely homeware and fashion shop, too (Theplatform-macduff.co.uk).

Also close by is Portsoy, famous for its salmon. After learning more about the local catch at the free Salmon Bothy museum (Salmonbothy.org), we buy flavoursome smoked fillets, £4 each, from Messrs J Smith at the historic harbour to cook later, before hitting Spey Bay’s free Scottish Dolphin Centre, half an hour away (Dolphincentre.whales.org).

There are binoculars for trying to spot the bay’s resident 200 bottlenose dolphins and the chance to listen to recordings of their calls.

The local dolphins are considered the world’s “chubbiest”, thanks to their extra layers for keeping warm in the chilly waters.

We’re alright though, we have a hot tub to return to. . .